Professional Development – BrainPOP Educatorshttps://educators.brainpop.com
Free Tips, Tools, & Resources for EducatorsWed, 13 Dec 2017 18:35:49 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.9Spread the Word for Back-to-School!https://educators.brainpop.com/2017/08/23/spread-word-back-school/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2017/08/23/spread-word-back-school/#respondWed, 23 Aug 2017 14:02:14 +0000https://educators.brainpop.com/?p=145029Kick off the school year by getting the most out of your BrainPOP subscription! Whether it’s training the educators at your school or sharing the news about your BrainPOP subscription with parents, BrainPOP Educators is full of resources to help you get the job done. If you’re new to BrainPOP, check out BrainPOP 101 where you... See more »

Kick off the school year by getting the most out of your BrainPOP subscription! Whether it’s training the educators at your school or sharing the news about your BrainPOP subscription with parents, BrainPOP Educators is full of resources to help you get the job done. If you’re new to BrainPOP, check out BrainPOP 101 where you can find Subscription Welcome Kits that outline what’s included in your subscription, Getting Started Guides to walk you through the basics of each site, and editable letters to announce your subscription to the staff at your school and families in your community.

For the educators at your school, we recommend visiting the Training section of our menu. We host live weekly webinars to inspire your teaching with BrainPOP and have a collection of archived webinars for you to view at any time. If you’ve been tagged to train your colleagues on BrainPOP’s resources, we’ve got you covered! The Training menu includes the Lead a Workshop section to support you in hosting your own BrainPOP PD session. On this page, you’ll find outlines, slides, activities, and more for you to use while you train other educators. We recommend checking out our training tips doc and BrainPOP Training Guide for ideas on how to train in any setting.

We’re here to share ideas to help you get your school up and running with BrainPOP and all of our features. If you have any questions or additional ideas, please share your comments in the section below!

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2017/08/23/spread-word-back-school/feed/0BrainPOP Jr. PD Bingo Boardhttps://educators.brainpop.com/printable/brainpop-jr-pd-bingo-board/
Wed, 09 Aug 2017 18:39:38 +0000https://educators.brainpop.com/?post_type=printable&p=144768B1, B2, B3, B … a BrainPOP Jr. expert! This Bingo board is a great way to familiarize yourself with all our offerings. Master any five tasks in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row to win the game while you delve deeper into our resources. Customize our Bingo board to fit your needs! Open it... See more »

B1, B2, B3, B … a BrainPOP Jr. expert! This Bingo board is a great way to familiarize yourself with all our offerings. Master any five tasks in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row to win the game while you delve deeper into our resources.

Customize our Bingo board to fit your needs! Open it using the orange Google Doc button below, then make a copy or download it through the File menu.

]]>BrainPOP PD Bingohttps://educators.brainpop.com/printable/brainpop-pd-bingo/
Tue, 08 Aug 2017 17:48:28 +0000https://educators.brainpop.com/?post_type=printable&p=144731B1, B2, B3, B … a BrainPOP expert! This Bingo board is a great way to familiarize yourself with all our offerings. Master any five tasks in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row to win the game while you delve deeper into our resources. Customize our Bingo board to fit your needs! Open it using... See more »

B1, B2, B3, B … a BrainPOP expert! This Bingo board is a great way to familiarize yourself with all our offerings. Master any five tasks in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row to win the game while you delve deeper into our resources.

Customize our Bingo board to fit your needs! Open it using the orange Google Doc button below, then make a copy or download it through the File menu.

]]>BrainPOP Educators August Webinarshttps://educators.brainpop.com/2017/08/07/brainpop-educators-august-webinars/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2017/08/07/brainpop-educators-august-webinars/#respondMon, 07 Aug 2017 18:24:04 +0000https://educators.brainpop.com/?p=144724Our August webinar schedule is action-packed to get you ready to head back to school! From overviews to onboarding, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to kick off the school-year in BrainPOP style. Check out the list of upcoming webinars below. For more details and complete descriptions, visit our webinar registration page. And,... See more »

Our August webinar schedule is action-packed to get you ready to head back to school! From overviews to onboarding, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to kick off the school-year in BrainPOP style. Check out the list of upcoming webinars below. For more details and complete descriptions, visit our webinar registration page. And, don’t worry if you’re unable to make the live sessions – we’ll post a recorded version of each webinar in our webinar archives.

Overview: Back to School With BrainPOP (45 min)Tuesday, August 8 at 3:30 pm ET

BrainPOP is heading to Denver for the 2016 ISTE conference and our schedule is packed full of exciting events! If you’re planning to attend the conference, be sure to visit our POPUp Classroom where we’ll be offering several free PD sessions. New subscribers? Veteran users? We’ll have something for everyone.

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2016/06/15/visit-popup-classroom-iste-2016/feed/0BrainPOP’s Professional Development Offeringshttps://educators.brainpop.com/professional-development/
Tue, 08 Mar 2016 17:23:07 +0000https://educators.brainpop.com/?page_id=129562BrainPOP Professional Development is everything you’ve come to expect from our offerings: engaging, applicable, and fun! Our workshops are delivered using a blended approach: each will consist of an in-person session, or series of sessions, plus customized online follow-up with support and scaffolding from a BrainPOP “coach.” We provide a wide variety of workshops from basic... See more »

]]>BrainPOP Professional Development is everything you’ve come to expect from our offerings: engaging, applicable, and fun! Our workshops are delivered using a blended approach: each will consist of an in-person session, or series of sessions, plus customized online follow-up with support and scaffolding from a BrainPOP “coach.” We provide a wide variety of workshops from basic BrainPOP training, to themes of tech integration, differentiation, assessment, or STEM/NGSS. Upon completion, you’ll have an implementation plan and attainable goals for more meaningful BrainPOP use. You’ll also be eligible to earn Certified BrainPOP Educator status by completing a series of additional requirements. Interested in our PD offerings? Read more about our workshops, or Complete our Professional Learning Request Form.

We’ve led training all around the country – your location could be next!

]]>BrainPOP’s Professional Development Course Descriptionshttps://educators.brainpop.com/brainpops-professional-development-offerings-2/
Tue, 08 Mar 2016 17:23:07 +0000https://educators.brainpop.com/?page_id=129562BrainPOP Professional Development is everything you’ve come to expect from our offerings: engaging, applicable, and enjoyable! Our workshops are delivered using a blended approach: each will consist of an in-person session plus customized online follow-up with support and scaffolding from a BrainPOP “coach.” Workshops start with basic BrainPOP training, then dive deeper into the themes of... See more »

BrainPOP Professional Development is everything you’ve come to expect from our offerings: engaging, applicable, and enjoyable! Our workshops are delivered using a blended approach: each will consist of an in-person session plus customized online follow-up with support and scaffolding from a BrainPOP “coach.” Workshops start with basic BrainPOP training, then dive deeper into the themes of tech integration, differentiation, assessment, or STEM/NGSS. Upon completion, you’ll have an implementation plan and attainable goals for more meaningful BrainPOP use. You’ll also be eligible to earn Certified BrainPOP Educator status by completing a series of additional requirements.

BrainPOP Integration and Best Practice

In this introductory workshop, participants will explore BrainPOP’s resources with pedagogically sound teaching practices. We’ll demonstrate some of the non-traditional ways that quizzes can be used beyond assessment, and how concept mapping helps students build and convey knowledge in creative, visual ways. The session will also cover different approaches to implementing curriculum-based learning games and take a look at the related learning artifacts students can produce with tools exclusive to our GameUp platform. Attendees will also delve into differentiated task designs, concrete goal-setting, and the importance of integrating BrainPOP in conjunction with specific educational initiatives at the school or district level.Workshop Length: 3 or 6 Hours, With Custom Options Available

Assessment

Through an exploration of meta-cognition and the various ways we learn, this workshop aims to characterize different approaches and help teachers differentiate assessment and evaluate outcomes. We’ll cover a number of methods for using BrainPOP content and tools like game play, concept mapping, and custom quiz creation for formative and summative assessment. Participants will learn to better assess students’ understanding and progress through data and digital artifacts created with BrainPOP features.Workshop Length: 6 Hours + Online Coaching

Differentiation

By exploring various approaches to differentiation, this workshop will provide practical applications for teaching students with a range of readiness, interests, and learning needs. We’ll consider the many paths teachers can take to reach students, incorporating specific BrainPOP content and tools. Participants will learn to tap into student choice and adapt activities for all kinds of learners.Workshop Length: 6 Hours + Online Coaching

STEM& the Next Generation Science Standards

Attendees will participate in a model lesson anchored to a chosen NGSS performance expectation, and delve into the standard’s practices, core ideas, and cross-cutting concepts. They’ll discuss and address the importance of ensuring students in any grade can formulate questions and explore possible answers via research, collaboration, and model engineering. This workshop highlights the ways BrainPOP content can support learner achievement using these and other STEM skills.Workshop Length: 6 Hours + Online Coaching

Coaching Customized online coaching plan will be developed with your trainer and will be completed in three months. Coach can dedicate up to two hours for full day workshop and one hour for 1/2 day workshop.

]]>BrainPOP’s Weekly Webinar Series Returns This Month!https://educators.brainpop.com/2015/08/03/brainpops-weekly-webinar-series-returns-this-month/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2015/08/03/brainpops-weekly-webinar-series-returns-this-month/#respondMon, 03 Aug 2015 19:09:10 +0000http://educators.brainpop.com/?p=121769We’re heading back-to-school with our weekly webinar series this Wednesday, August 5th at 4:00 PM ET! Join us for a free, hour-long webinar where we’ll be discussing how to get your students up and running with My BrainPOP. Ideal for grades 3+, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to take a tour of the BrainPOP features designed... See more »

We’re heading back-to-school with our weekly webinar series this Wednesday, August 5th at 4:00 PM ET! Join us for a free, hour-long webinar where we’ll be discussing how to get your students up and running with My BrainPOP. Ideal for grades 3+, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to take a tour of the BrainPOP features designed to help you keep track of student learning.

We’ll be hosting webinars every Wednesday throughout the month! Check out the other August sessions we have scheduled below, and be sure to keep an eye on our registration page to find future sessions that best fit your needs.

August 12 @ 4:00 PM ET – BrainPOP Single Sign On With Google Apps for Education and LTI
This webinar, targeting BrainPOP account administrators and tech directors, covers the multiple ways for setting up BrainPOP SSO via Google Apps or LTI to create My BrainPOP accounts for students and teachers. We’ll be joined by Lisa Subrizi, our Director of Integration, for an overview of the process and the best way to bring BrainPOP to your district, school, or classroom.

August 19 @ 4:00 PM ET – It’s Here! My BrainPOP for BrainPOP Jr.
Calling all K-3 teachers! My BrainPOP is now available for BrainPOP Jr., our resource for early learners. My BrainPOP Jr. lets your students submit activity from games, quizzes, and activities for feedback. It lets you see a timeline of who’s done what and how well they’ve done. Join us for an overview of this much-requested BrainPOP Jr. offering.

August 26 @ 4:00 PM ET – Beta Testing With BrainPOP
BrainPOP is committed to doing whatever we can to meet your needs. That’s why we’re always asking teachers and students for feedback on our newest features and incorporating their ideas. Katya Hott, BrainPOP’s User Testing Lead, and Wendy Semsel (Churchill School) will discuss the different ways we work with teachers and students, and how that impacts our design and production. If you’re interested in working with us to test and discuss your thoughts on new offerings, don’t miss this inside look at the process.

]]>https://educators.brainpop.com/2015/08/03/brainpops-weekly-webinar-series-returns-this-month/feed/0Guest Blogger Nili Bartley Puts a Spin on Professional Developmenthttps://educators.brainpop.com/2014/12/10/guest-blogger-nili-bartley-puts-spin-professional-development/
https://educators.brainpop.com/2014/12/10/guest-blogger-nili-bartley-puts-spin-professional-development/#respondWed, 10 Dec 2014 11:43:53 +0000http://educators.brainpop.com/?p=117040Guest blogger Nili Bartley from Hopkinton, MA is a 4th grade teacher who has taken a different approach to training and professional development. Read on to learn about how Nili’s students helped get her colleagues up and running with My BrainPOP. Don’t miss her previous posts from October and November! I ended my last blog... See more »

Guest blogger Nili Bartley from Hopkinton, MA is a 4th grade teacher who has taken a different approach to training and professional development. Read on to learn about how Nili’s students helped get her colleagues up and running with My BrainPOP. Don’t miss her previous posts from October and November!

I ended my last blog entry with the following line: “It doesn’t get much better than this.” And yet, it actually did. It was one thing to see students transform using BrainPOP and a whole different ballgame when four of them introduced its potential to teachers. I knew selecting and preparing students to assist me in running a BrainPOP training would be challenging. My goal, however, was to give teachers permission to become students and I couldn’t think of a better way to accomplish this other than having students become their teachers. And they certainly did.

We presented in early November to two groups of teachers, each session averaging ten attendees. With student excitement exploding in the air, both sessions were successful and feedback from teachers and administrators was extremely positive. Each student trainer took on one of BrainPOP’s newest features and prepared a tutorial. They also carefully selected work they were proud of and wrote a creative introduction explaining to teachers how BrainPOP has benefited them as learners. We kicked off each session with an Animoto created by a different group of students as way to introduce our BrainPOP journey so far. Although this creative group did a super job touching on the newest features, it was their conclusion that struck me as well as my colleagues. They left us with one thought: “Now we (the students) are pros on BrainPOP.” As the student trainers then began their introductions and continued with their tutorials, they proved just that.

Each of the four trainers proudly introduced themselves and spoke from the heart. To me, this was the best part of the training and I knew then that selecting kids to be a part of this wonderful experience was indeed a good decision. Each of their benefits pointed to increased knowledge, taking their learning to the next level, and boosting their engagement. The “Students Teaching Teachers” portion of the session, however, was certainly the most engaging as teachers listened without hesitation. They knew what was being presented was evidence of student learning with no argument. We invited them to explore right along with us on their laptops, as again, the intention was to see BrainPOP through a student’s eyes. All features were demonstrated within the topic of nouns so that teachers could see how each feature works in asking students to apply their learning about the same topic.

Lex, our first student trainer, began with explaining how to use the Activities feature and thoroughly went through each potential tab. Teachers were particularly excited about the Primary Source feature as well as the ability to type, draw, and give feedback online. He displayed his nouns graphic organizer and explained to teachers that the idea was to differentiate between the types of nouns and provide examples. Teachers could see that the Activities feature asks students to not only demonstrate their understanding for a topic, but extend their thinking. And of course the biggest selling point was the idea that all work and feedback can be done without a printer.

Our second student trainer (parent has asked to hold student name) then stepped in with GameUp and this was certainly a treat for all of us as she asked teachers to join her in playing Sortify. It was amazing (as well as humorous for all) to see that she and her fellow trainers were more confident in their knowledge of concepts like abstract nouns than the teachers in the room. I believe it was at this point that teachers began to realize the power of BrainPOP in advancing student knowledge in such a short time. As she demonstrated the process of submitting bins, teachers were in awe that not only can a student submit an actual game, but that his or her results can easily guide instruction. She concluded by showing teachers her original submitted bins for nouns, explained where her misconceptions had been, and her progress since. You can’t can ask more from fourth graders in taking control of their learning.

Casey was next on the agenda to demonstrate Make-a-Map. There wasn’t a tool or option left out of her thorough explanation and once again, teachers couldn’t believe what they were seeing. They “oohed” and “aahed” when Casey showed them how to take a picture from the video and use it in their concept map. As she demonstrated connecting ideas with arrows, teachers quietly buzzed with potential ideas for their own students as it’s the connection between ideas that truly tap into higher order thinking. When it came time for Casey to show off her own Make-a-Map based on the different types of nouns, teachers were able to witness how Casey’s brain thinks right in front of their eyes and that as well left a lasting impression.

It was finally Kylie’s turn to show teachers the foundation that binds it all together, My BrainPOP. She was able to show My BrainPOP in her own student account and once again, teachers were amazed. Whether she was highlighting a completed quiz, activity, game, or concept map, she navigated through her work with ease. Teachers were able to see that Kylie was not just showing them how to find different assignments, but that she could actually reflect on the growth she had made. With My BrainPOP being essential in creating and maintaining classes as well as keeping track of students, I had the student trainers take a well deserved break while I demonstrated the power of My BrainPOP as a teacher. This concluded each session leaving us a few minutes at the end to continue exploring with “go to” trainers right on hand.

Teachers left wanting more and couldn’t wait to create their own accounts. In fact, many logged in with their new teacher account information before they left and had set up their own classrooms by the next day. All student trainers were praised for a job well done and teachers are still giving them high fives in the hallway making them feel like rockstars. Their classmates have learned from them as well and we have all agreed together to keep spreading the word about the newest features on BrainPOP. We are now providing opportunities for one on one trainings where my students partner up with other fourth and fifth graders in the building. We were able to teach our switch class, for example, how to use Make-a-Map to show why immigrants came to Ellis Island. Since this was a huge success, we are scheduled to train four other classes on how to use Activities and Make-a-Map to extend their knowledge and thinking about Thanksgiving this week.

As I ponder next steps for my students, I believe that our second trainer stated it perfectly when she said, “BrainPOP has intrigued me to study topics I might not have otherwise been interested in such as (and this is when she turned to me and smiled) parts of speech.” So although we will keep our confidence growing by training peers, we will also use BrainPOP as a learning resource for any topic we encounter. I will do my best to incorporate the newest features and My BrainPOP as much as possible, but the greatest outcome from our Parts of Speech journey is that students are already starting to do this without me. They are, afterall, the experts.

A few words from the rockstars themselves:

“This experience was one of the best I have ever had in an academics structure. It made me a more confident learner and teacher.”

“It was really fun and gave me a lot of confidence for teaching other people. I felt unique and different, because not many students get to teach teachers. People who are older usually teach people who are younger and it was like I was a teacher and they were students.”

“It was a new experience for me. To go up there in front of teachers and teach them about Make-a-Map was a big risk I had to take.”

“It was a great experience, because I had never done anything like this before.”

A final quote from a thoughtful student who wrote it when completing a BrainPOP reflection at the end of our Parts of Speech unit.

“I will probably use BrainPOP to get a job, because I can walk in with a Make-a-Map showing their company right now how much better it will be with me in it.”